Typography
Consistent use of typography is the foundation of the Iowa State brand standards. Our graphic communications reach many overlapping audiences and it is important that the university’s image is reflected clearly and consistently in all situations. Careful use of typography establishes a unique graphic look that is instantly identified with Iowa State, creating a cohesive, professional image.
Two type families have been carefully selected for graphic communications: ITC Berkeley Old Style and Univers. These two type families, highly versatile and highly legible, are compatible with each other as well as with our wordmark. ITC Berkeley is a traditional serif typeface. Univers is a sans serif typeface with a clean, modern look. Together, they reflect these two traits that embody Iowa State University. The wide range of weights available in both families provide several options necessary to create an effective typographic message. The font families may be used alone or in combination to create graphical interest.
Below are the commonly used faces within these approved type families which are available for purchase through www.myfonts.com. This online resource can help find and identify fonts.
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Print
Print communications fall into many categories, from printed brochures, posters, and banners to signage, apparel, and billboards. Both ITC Berkeley Oldstyle and Univers are approved for use in print communications.
Some items to keep in mind when choosing your typography include:
- Use only fonts included in the Berkeley and Univers type families. A combination of approved fonts can be used as graphical elements within a piece.
- If you need to reverse copy out of a color, choose one of the darker colors in the palette, and use Univers at a point size large enough to keep the letterforms from filling in. Berkeley should be used with caution in reverse out situations.
- A comfortable standard for body copy is Berkeley set at 10 point on 14 point leading or Univers set at 9.5 point on 14 point leading.
Univers Font Family
ITC Berkeley Oldstyle Font Family
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Web
While Berkeley and Univers work well in print communications, due to technical limitations of websites, two different fonts that share some of the same characteristics of Berkeley and Univers have been carefully chosen for use in online resources.
The digital font replacements are Nimbus Sans (for Univers) and Merriweather (for Berkeley). These fonts can be viewed on most browsers. Merriweather can be utilized by designers and developers through Google Fonts. Nimbus Sans can be utilized through Adobe Typekit. The university has also purchased a license for digital use. There is a CSS file available to load and apply the fonts. For additional information about the university's use of Nimbus Sans, visit here.
Nimbus Sans Type Family
Merriweather Type Family
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PowerPoint®
While Berkeley and Univers work well in print communications, due to technical limitations of electronic presentation software, two different fonts that share some of the same characteristics of Berkeley and Univers have been carefully chosen for use in electronic presentations.
Times New Roman Type Family
Arial Type Family
